Holder for sparklers and the like



Sept. 21, 1937. B.- JONES 2,093,447

HOLDER FOR SPARKLERS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 9, 1957 Fi .1. Fig.2

invenTor. ErnesT B. \Jon'es AYTyS.

Patented Sept. 21, 1937 STATES PATEltiT QFWQE HOLDER. FOR SPARKLERSAND THE LIKE Application January 9, 1937, Serial No. 119,823

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a holder for supporting and protecting a sparkler or similar pyrotechnic device. The ordinary sparkler, as is Well known, is usually composed of a straight wire, one end section of which is coated with the pyrotechnic material. Thus the uncoated portion of the wire of the device constitutes a stem by means of which the sparkler is held while the coated portion is the combustion section which, when ignited, burns slowly, giving oif a constant shower of brilliant sparks.

While the sparks given off are harmless and not of a character to injure the person or the cloth ing of one holding the device, the continual com bustion of the pyrotechnic material frequently heats the wire of the combustion section to an objectionable degree.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a simple, durable and economical holder by means of which the sparkler or similar device may be held with perfect safety under all conditions and without interfering with the pyrotechnic effect.

The nature and objects of the invention will appear more fully from the accompanying description and drawing and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

The drawing illustrates a simple and preferred form of the invention in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device.

Fig. 2 is a view in vertical cross section.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view.

The device in the preferred form illustrated is composed of a cylindrical reticulated cage, a handle at one end of said cage and a clutching device.

The cylindrical cage l is preferably made of a very coarse wire netting with the meshes of such size and the wire of sufliciently small diameter so that the sparks emitted in the burning of the sparkler may pass freely therethrough and so that the pyrotechnic effect will not be materially obscured.

This cage l is secured in any suitable manner to a handle 2 which may be made of any suitable shape and preferably of wood. The cage l preferably projects in axial alignment with the handle 2 and from the upper flat surface 3 thereof.

The handle is provided with a bore 4 extending centrally and longitudinally thereof and of 50 a suficient diameter to receive loosely the stem 5 of the sparkler and position the combustion section 6 of the sparkler substantially centrally of and within the cage.

The invention also comprises means on the handle for releasably clutching the stem of the sparkler when in place in the bore. A preferred form of such means is illustrated as a fiat, resilient metal strip l having an aperture 8 therethrough of sufiicient size readily to receive the stem of the sparkler. This metal strip is bent at 9 at one end and the end of the bent portion is secured in any suitable manner as by a nail it to the handle. The metal strip is movable manually in one direction transversely of the handle preferably being guided in a groove l l in the upper face of the handle. This manual movement may be readily effected by pressing against the bent portion 9 of the strip. When the pressure is released, the strip moves yieldingly under the action of its own resiliency in the opposite direction across the handle. It will thus be seen that in the operation of the device the operator holds the handle 2 in one hand and presses on the bent portion 9 of the metal strip until the aperture 8 comes into alignment with the bore 3. Then the sparkler is dropped in place with its stem extending through the aperture 8 into the bore d, thus positioning the sparkler as illustrated in the drawing. Then upon releasing the pressure on the strip, the strip moves under its own resiliency in the opposite direction and clutches the stem when thus in place in the bore.

To release the sparkler after it has been burned out, one only has to press slightly on the bent portion 9 of the metal strip and shake the wire out of the holder.

There is thus presented a very simple, durable and economical device which gives absolute protection to the sparkler preventing the'wire when heated from coming in. contact with anything, while at the same time the pyrotechnic display of the burning sparkler is not materially obstructed.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A holder for a sparkler or similar pyrotechnic device having a stem and a combustion section which comprises a cylindrical reticulated cage, a handle at one end of said cage having therein a bore located to position the combustion section of said device substantially centrally in said cage when the stem is placed in the bore and means on the handle, operable by the hand grasping the handle, for releasably clutching the stem when in place in the bore.

2. A holder for a sparkler or similar pyrotechnic device having a stem and a combustion section which comprises a cylindrical reticulated cage, a handle at one end of said cage having therein a bore located to position the combustion section of said device substantially centrally in said cage when the stem is placed in the bore and a clutch member having an aperture therethrough and manually movable on the handle transversely thereof in one direction to bring the aperture into alignment with the bore and yieldingly moved in the opposite direction to clutch the stem when in place in the bore.

3. A holder for a 'sparkler or similar pyrotechnic device having a stem and a combustion section which comprises a cylindrical reticulated cage, a handle at one end of said cage having therein a bore located to position the combustion section of said device substantially centrally in said cage when the stem is placed in the bore, and a fiat resilient metal strip having an aperture therethrough'and bent at one end and secured thereby to the handle, the said strip manually movable on the handle transversely thereof in one direction to bring the aperture into alignment with the bore and yieldingly moved in the opposite direction by the resiliency of the bent portion to clutch the stem when in place in the bore.

ERNEST B. JONES. 

